Absolute Radio’s network of digital stations are attracting almost the same amount of listeners as the main Absolute Radio station, according to the latest audience figures.
The national station is growing year on year and now has 1.6m listeners, whilst the entire network has hit 3m.
It has been ten years since the business has enjoyed over 3m listeners, when the station was known as Virgin Radio. Now a growing number of extra stations are attracting audiences on digital platforms.
Newcomers Absolute Radio 60s and Absolute Radio 70s both debut their first RAJAR, with 151,000 listeners and 157,000 reach respectively. Absolute Radio 00s however seems to have lost half its listeners in the last 12 months – dropping from 170,000 to 84,000.
Christian O’Connell’s breakfast show has gained almost 50,000 new listeners this quarter taking it to over 1.2 million whilst Absolute Radio Network’s hours have grown to nearly 21 million this quarter (20.935), up +11.3% quarter on quarter and +18.8% year on year.
Absolute Radio Chief Operating Officer, Clive Dickens commented, “3 million listeners for the Absolute Radio brand is a real milestone, especially as we only three years old. Christian O’Connell has gained 50,000 new Breakfast listeners this quarter and 200,000 over the year and three Sony Radio Awards, not a bad week! The Summer is looking great for us especially as Johnny Vaughan joins Absolute Radio to celebrate the arrival of the ‘greatest show on earth’ to Great Britain”.
77% of Absolute Radio’s total Network listening is now via a digital platform, rising from 71% last quarter – against an industry average of 29.2%.
Posted on Thursday, May 17th, 2012 at 12:04 am by RadioToday UK